Hi everyone! I do apologise for the recent hiatus in posts but, if you didn’t know, I’ve been on a rather exciting adventure. As the title to this blog suggests, for the past two weeks I have been in the States travelling up the east coast from Washington DC to Boston. Although my boyfriend and I had originally planned to do this by road, we eventually opted to try out the American railway network and took Amtrak trains almost all the way. This proved to be quite an experience, mostly positive I must add, but as there will be more on our Amtrak experience coming very soon I will leave it at that for the moment.
Now that I am home, the blogging has already begun and I can assure you that I have plenty of stories and tips to share with you all. However in the meantime, whilst I’m frantically trying to compile my holiday journal ramblings into read-worthy posts, I thought I’d share a brief overview of our itinerary and snapshots so that you have an idea of what is to come.
Washington DC
Our first stop was the beautiful American capital of Washington DC, perfectly timed as it was Cherry Blossom season and the whole city was in bloom. We had less than two full days to see as much of DC as we could and we managed to see a lot; From the monuments and museums (from the outside) along the National Mall, to the immaculate and poignant Arlington Cemetery overlooking the banks of the Potomac River, and the quaint neighbourhood of Georgetown with its historic and picturesque houses, upscale stores and high-end eateries.
related: Two Days in Washington DC | St Gregory Hotel Review
Philadelphia
Just an hour and a half north of Washington, our second stop was Philadelphia, the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ and one of the most important places in American History. Home to the Liberty Bell, Rocky Balboa and of course the legendary Philly Cheesecake sandwich, I wasn’t sure whether 36 hours was long enough to do the city justice. But with the help of the handy Big Bus Tour, we were able to get a good feel for the place and visited the vast majority of Philadelphia’s must-see sights.
related: 36 Hours in Philadelphia | Sonesta Downtown Philadelphia Hotel Review
New York
Three days in the Big Apple gave us the chance to dive deeper into what is definitely one of my favourite cities in the world. Having ticked off most of the major tourist attractions back in 2013 we took the opportunity to experience New York at a more laid back pace (if that’s even possible) and spent our time further exploring the borough of Brooklyn, winding through the streets of West Village and the Meatpacking district on a Sex & The City Tour, as well as watching Jersey Boys on Broadway and enjoying the view from the summit of One World Observatory.
related: 3 Days in New York Part 1 | 3 Days in New York Part 2
Providence
The capital of Rhode Island was added into our itinerary to break up the train journey up to Boston as well as to get a feel for the atmosphere of New England. Staying just one night but the best part of a day, allowed us to explore the main centre of Providence, see the typical New England houses of East Providence close by to Brown University, and to feast on Italian cuisine in the Federal Hill area. It also gave us enough time to spend half a day in the coastal town of Newport, a popular New England summer resort as well as home to the famous Newport Mansions.
related: 24 Hours in Rhode Island: Visiting Providence & Newport
Boston
Our final destination was Boston, where we spent the best part of five days staying with a school friend of ours. The first day that we had assigned to sightseeing was a wash out so instead we cafe-hopped, eating all sorts of sweet treats and local delicacies before resorting to a bit of retail therapy. The following days were thankfully kinder to us weather-wise allowing a visit to Harvard, across the river in Cambridge, an exploration of Boston’s history along the Freedom trail, a day trip to nearby Salem where the witch trials of 1692 took place, and leisurely strolls through the pretty Back Bay and Beacon Hill quarters.
So yes, there is a lot to report and I’m so excited to share my travels tales and pictures with you. If you aren’t already, definitely head over to my Instagram (@thegirlonthemoveblog) which I am still updating with plenty of pictures from the trip, and follow along!
What do you think of my trip? Have you ever done something similar or maybe plan to? Perhaps some of the cities are on your bucket list? Do let me know in the comments below.
Likewise, if you have any questions at all about how I went about planning the trip or about what we did in the various cities, please don’t hesitate contact me – you can either comment below or send me an email at victoria@thegirlonthemove.com
Love, Victoria x
4 comments
I love your blog. You were very close to me as I live in Roanoke, Virginia which is about three and a half hours away from D. C. Had I known, we could have met for lunch!
Happy Travels.
Nancy
Hi Nancy, thank you so much 🙂 I had a wonderful time in DC and would love to visit again in the not too distant future – 2 days just wasn’t enough! If it works out next time, we should most definitely meet for lunch.
Best wishes from England, Victoria
What a coincidence! I recently took nearly the exact same roadtrip, except the opposite direction, starting in Boston and ending in DC! (I live in Boston). I went to all the same stops as you did, minus Providence but I have been to Providence on a separate occasion. And I already have some blog posts about it up and was just about to release a summation post like this one!
Aha amazing! Did you have a good trip? I absolutely loved our time in the States – although we arrived in Rhode Island/ Boston just after the snow arrived which was a complete contrast to the hot and sunny weather we had enjoyed down in DC haha! Will definitely head over to your blog – would love to read your posts and compare our trips 🙂 Victoria x